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Isaiah Rothstein is an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, author, musician and public speaker. [1] He previously served as the Spiritual and Experiential Educator at Carmel Academy of Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut. [2] Rothstein is best known for his essay "Color Erases, Color Paints" which generated extensive debate within the Jewish community about race and diversity. [3]
Rothstein received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Rothstein, using Torah based resources, preaches about racial justice in both the Jewish community and in the United States at large. [4] [5] Rothstein previously served as a community gatherer at the Beis Community of Washington Heights. [6] He served as rabbi-in-residence with Hazon, a Jewish environmental organization with 20,000 members, advocated for a faith-based response to climate change. [7] According to the Swedish paper Svenska Yle, Rothstein represented Hazon to greet the international climate activist celebrity Greta Thunberg upon her arrival in the United States. [8] Rothstein is an advocate of bible-based environmental conservation. [7]
Rothstein is also an accomplished musician and performs at functions throughout the Jewish and non-Jewish world. [9] His music incorporates references from his childhood experiences and diverse musical traditions. [10] He is the leader of the band Zayah. [11]
Rothstein is originally from Monsey, New York, [12] although his family has deep roots in the American past. His mother is an African-American convert to Judaism. Isaiah Rothstein's father was raised in a Jewish home in New York, but became Orthodox through Chabad. [13] Rothstein is married to the actress and filmmaker Leah Gottfried, known for the successful webseries Soon By You . [5] [14] [15]
Haredi Judaism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted halakha and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are usually referred to as ultra-Orthodox in English; a term considered pejorative by many of its adherents, who prefer the terms strictly Orthodox or Haredi. Haredim regard themselves as the most authentic custodians of Jewish religious law and tradition which, in their opinion, is binding and unchangeable. They consider all other expressions of Judaism, including Modern Orthodoxy, as deviations from God's laws, although other movements of Judaism would disagree.
Agudath Israel of America is an American organization that represents Haredi Orthodox Jews. It is loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel. Agudah seeks to meet the needs of the Haredi community, advocates for its religious and civil rights, and services its constituents through charitable, educational, and social service projects across North America.
A kippah, yarmulke, yamaka, bullcap, or koppel is a brimless cap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish males to fulfill the customary requirement that the head be covered. It is the most common type of head-covering worn by men in Orthodox Jewish communities during prayers and by most Orthodox Jewish men at most other times. Among non-Orthodox Jewish individuals, some wear them at most times, while most wear them only during prayer, while attending a synagogue, or at other ceremonies, and others wear them rarely or never.
The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) or Young Israel, is a synagogue-based Orthodox Judaism organization in the United States with a network of affiliated "Young Israel" synagogues. Young Israel was founded in 1912, in its earliest form, by a group of 15 young Jews on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Their goal was to make Orthodox Judaism more relevant to young Americanized Jews at a time when a significant Jewish education was rare, and most Orthodox institutions were Yiddish-speaking and oriented to an older, European Jewish demographic.
Partnership minyan is a religious Jewish prayer group that seeks to maximize women's participation in services within the confines of Jewish law as understood by Orthodox Judaism. This includes enabling women to lead parts of service, read from the Torah, serve in lay leadership positions, sit in a more gender-balanced format, and in some cases count as part of a minyan ("quorum") of ten men and ten women. Partnership minyanim began in 2002 simultaneously in New York and Jerusalem, and have now spread to over 30 communities in at least five different countries around the world.
Hazon is an American nonprofit organization based in New York City that seeks to "create new vision" in the Jewish community through outdoor and environmental education. It was founded in 2000 by its British-born CEO Nigel Savage. The organization claims to be America's "largest faith-based environmental organization". Hazon's advisory board of directors is chaired by Ruth Messinger.
Jewish-American organized crime initially emerged within the American Jewish community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In media and popular culture, it has variously been referred to as the Jewish Mob, the Jewish Mafia, the Kosher Mob, the Kosher Mafia, the Yiddish Connection, and Kosher Nostra or Undzer Shtik. The last two of these terms are direct references to the Italian Cosa Nostra; the former is a play on the word for kosher, referring to Jewish dietary laws, while the latter is a calque of the Italian phrase 'cosa nostra' into Yiddish, which was at the time the predominant language of the Jewish diaspora in the United States.
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel is recognized by law as the supreme rabbinic authority for Judaism in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate Council assists the two Chief Rabbis, who alternate in its presidency. It has legal and administrative authority to organize religious arrangements for Israel's Jews. It also responds to halakhic questions submitted by Jewish public bodies in the Diaspora. The Council sets, guides, and supervises agencies within its authority. In 2024, the High Court of Justice ruled that women are eligible to serve on the Chief Rabbinate Council, and as rabbis on the Chief Rabbi Election Assembly.
Rabbi Mark Dratch served as the Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Council of America from 1993-2024. He is the founder of JSafe. In 2010 he was named as one of Newsweek's Top 50 Rabbis in America. He was number 13 on Newsweek's list in 2013. He was married to Sara Lamm, the daughter of Rabbi Norman Lamm, the long-time president and Chancellor of Yeshiva University. In December, 2017 he married Rachel Levitt Klein. In July, 2023 he made Aliya.
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is a philanthropic organization founded in 1983 by Yechiel Eckstein whose stated mission is to promote understanding and cooperation between Jews and Christians, and provide humanitarian aid for the State of Israel. Since 2019, Yael Eckstein has been serving as The Fellowship's President and CEO.
Judaism and environmentalism intersect on many levels. The natural world plays a central role in Jewish law, literature, liturgy, and other practices. Within the arena of Jewish thought, beliefs vary widely about the human relationship to the environment.
Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto is an Israeli-Moroccan Orthodox rabbi who leads a global organization called Mosdot Shuva Israel. Based in Ashdod and New York City, he is a Kabbalist. Globes business journal named him in 2012 as one of the ten wealthiest rabbis in Israel.
Yitzhak Yosef is an Israeli Haredi rabbi. The former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, he also serves as the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia in Jerusalem's Romema neighborhood.
Jewish vegetarianism is a commitment to vegetarianism that is connected to Judaism, Jewish ethics or Jewish identity. Jewish vegetarians often cite Jewish principles regarding animal welfare, environmental ethics, moral character, and health as reasons for adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Aytzim, formerly the Green Zionist Alliance (GZA), is a New York–based Jewish environmental organization that is a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity. A grassroots all-volunteer organization, Aytzim is active in the United States, Canada and Israel. The organization is a former member of the American Zionist Movement and has worked in partnership with Ameinu, the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), Hazon, Interfaith Moral Action on Climate, Interfaith Oceans, GreenFaith, Mercaz/Masorti, the National Religious Coalition on Creation Care, and the Jewish National Fund (JNF)—although Aytzim has long criticized JNF for not prioritizing sustainability and environmental justice in its actions. Aytzim's work at the nexus of Judaism, environmentalism and Zionism has courted controversy from both Jewish and non-Jewish groups.
David Nekrutman is an American-Israeli Orthodox Jewish theologian, writer, director, columnist, public speaker, and pro-Israel activist. He is a prominent figure and pioneer in the world of Jewish-Christian relations and is the former executive director and co-founder of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC), co-founder of the Day to Praise global interfaith initiative, and founder of the Blessing Bethlehem aid organization. Nekrutman currently serves as the Executive Director and co-founder of The Isaiah Projects, a ministry dedicated to helping Christians discover the Hebraic roots of their faith. In addition, Nekrutman is a columnist who has written for The Jerusalem Post, Charisma Magazine, and The Times of Israel.
Leah Gottfried is an American Orthodox Jewish actress and filmmaker, best known for creating and starring in the web series Soon By You. In 2017, she was featured in The Jewish Week's "36 Under 36", an annual list of influential Jews under age 36.
Ashkenormativity refers to a form of Eurocentrism within Ashkenazi Jewish culture that confers privilege on Ashkenazi Jews relative to Jews of Sephardi, Mizrahi, Ethiopian, and other non-Ashkenazi backgrounds, as well as to the assumption that Ashkenazi culture is the default Jewish culture. The term is most commonly used in the United States, where the majority of Jews are Ashkenazi. Ashkenormativity is also alleged to exist in Israel, where Ashkenazi Jews experience cultural prominence despite no longer constituting a majority.
Black Jews in New York City comprise one of the largest communities of Black Jews in the United States. Black Jews have lived in New York City since colonial times, with organized Black-Jewish and Black Hebrew Israelite communities emerging during the early 20th century. Black Jewish and Black Hebrew Israelite communities have historically been centered in Harlem, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Queens. The Commandment Keepers movement originated in Harlem, while the Black Orthodox Jewish community is centered in Brooklyn. New York City is home to four historically Black synagogues with roots in the Black Hebrew Israelite community. A small Beta Israel (Ethiopian-Jewish) community also exists in New York City, many of whom emigrated from Israel. Black Hebrew Israelites are not considered Jewish by the New York Board of Rabbis, an organization representing mainstream Rabbinic Judaism. However, some Black Hebrew Israelite individuals in New York City are recognized as Jewish due to converting through the Orthodox, Conservative, or other Jewish movements.
Nigel Savage is a British environmental activist and founder of Jewish environmental nonprofit organisation Hazon. Beginning his career working in finance, in 2000 he founded Hazon and was CEO until its merger with the Pearlstone Retreat Center in 2021. He has been named twice as one of the Forward 50, and was a founder of Limmud NY. One of Savage's initiatives to help Jews live more sustainably include the Seal of Sustainability for Jewish institutions. He also named and catalysed the JOFEE movement, including the JOFEE Fellows program.